The Holocaust Memorial in Hyde Park, London, was the first public memorial in Great Britain dedicated to victims of the Holocaust.[1][2] It lies to the east of the Serpentine Lake,[1] in The Dell, an open-air area within the park. Since its unveiling in 1983 remembrance services have taken place at the memorial every year.[3]
Holocaust Memorial | |
 The Hyde Park Holocaust Memorial | |
 | |
| 51°30′15.53″N 0°9′32.03″W / 51.5043139°N 0.1588972°W | |
| Location | Hyde Park London, SW1 |
|---|---|
| Designer | Mark Badger, Richard Seifert, Derek Lovejoy and partners |
| Type | Memorial |
| Material | Granite boulder |
| Beginning date | 1983 |
| Completion date | 1983 |
| Opening date | 1983 |
| Dedicated to | Victims of the Holocaust |
Construction and unveiling
editThe memorial was built in 1983, funded by the Board of Deputies of British Jews under the impetus of then-President Greville Janner, a Labour Party MP.[2][3][4] It was designed by Mark Badger, Richard Seifert, Derek Lovejoy and partners.[1] It was unveiled on 28 June 1983, during a service led by then-Environment Secretary Patrick Jenkin, Baron Jenkin of Roding. Attended by a crowd of 500 spectators including Sir Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Jenkin described the memorial as "a reminder of the past and a warning for the future."[4] The attending guests then sang hymns and "Adon Olam", a Sabbath hymn.
The then-shadow Environment Secretary Gerald Kaufman, whose grandmother was murdered by the Nazis in Poland, also stated that "the memorial was essential because the German responsibility was partly shared by other countries."[4]
Design
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The memorial consists of two boulders lying within a gravel bed, surrounded by a copse of silver birch trees. It is inscribed in both English and Hebrew with the words "For these I weep. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people"[1] which is a quotation from the Book of Lamentations.[4]
Controversy
editIn April 2024, London police covered the memorial out of fear that pro-Palestinian activists might vandalize it.[5] Many viewed this as a victory for antisemites, and labeled the action as "shameful".[5]
See also
edit- List of Holocaust memorials and museums
- Proposed UK Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Gardens, Westminster.
- The Imperial War Museum Holocaust Exhibition in London
- The Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide (London)
References
editNotes
edit- ^ a b c d "Monuments in Hyde Park". The Royal Parks. 2012. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
- ^ a b Cooke (2000), pp. 449–465.
- ^ a b "National Memorial". Yomhashoah UK. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Garden in London's Hyde Park is Britain's Holocaust Memorial". JTA. 28 June 1983. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
- ^ a b Eichner, Itamar; Drukman, Yaron (28 April 2024). "Outrage as London police cover Holocaust memorial for fear of vandalism by antisemitic mob". YNET News. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
Written works
edit- Cooke, Steven (July 2000). "Negotiating memory and identity : the Hyde Park Holocaust Memorial, London". Journal of Historical Geography. 26 (3). Academic Press: 449–465. doi:10.1006/jhge.2000.0238. hdl:10536/DRO/DU:30032822.
External links
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Media related to Holocaust Memorial, London at Wikimedia Commons
- Monuments in Hyde Park RoyalParks.org
- Holocaust Memorial Garden, Hyde Park, London[permanent dead link] from 6millionmemorials.co.uk